Mop



E. F. LUX

MOP

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 20, 1959 NOV. 19, 1940. E, F L Ux 2,222,368

MOP

Filed March 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE MOP Application March 20, 1939, Serial No. 262,963

7 Claims.

One phase of my invention relates to the means' for securing to the headof the mop the swab portion thereof whether or not it be of suchcharacter as to require, or render desirable, the

wringing of liquid therefrom, to condition it for use.

Another phase of the invention relates to mops the swab portions ofwhich are wrung to squeeze out the excess of liquid applied to them toconlu dition them for use, as for example in the case of mops used wetfor cleaning floors.

My objects generally stated are to provide improvements in mops to theend of reducing the cost of manufacture thereof, providing a. sturdyl loconstruction, and as to the first-referred-to phase of my invention, tofacilitate the removal.

and replacement, or substitution, of the swab portions of mops, and asto the other phase of my invention, to generally improve upon structuresof this kind as hitherto provided.

I have chosen to illustrate in the accompanying drawings both phases ofmy invention as incorporated in a single structure, a description ofthese drawings being as follows:

Figure l is a rear face view of the mop.

Figure 2 is a front face view of the mop.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section of the mop, the section beingtaken at the line 3 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the mop showing the wringerdevice in three different positions, the depending dotted position ofthe wringer showing the position thereof. when not in use; the full lineposition thereof representing the wringer in position to be actuated forwringing out the swab and the inclined dotted position of the wringerrepresenting the position assumed thereby upon the conclusion of thewringing operation.

Figure 5 is a perspective cross sectional view through the swab portionof the mop showing certain portions thereof broken away.

Figure 6 is a similar view through the head of the mop.

Figure -7 is a perspective view of a clip device for securing the swabportion to the head; and

Figure 8, a plan sectional View taken at the line 8 on Fig. 4 and viewedin the direction of the arrow. y

' 50 The structure shown comprises a mop head 9 of plate form mounted onthe upper end of a mop handle I0 through the medium of a bracket IIclamped to the handle and secured to the head 8; a swab I2 applied tothe head 9; a clip device I3 for holding the swab in place 0n the head;and a wringer device I4 for use in removing excess liquid applied to theswab.

'I'he head 9, preferably formed of sheet metal, is provided along one ofits longitudinal edges with a flange I5 forming an upwardly opening 5groove I6 and along its opposite edge with an inwardly-turned flange I'Iforming a journal support for a link-forming frame constituting a partof the wringer device hereinafter described.

The swap I2 comprises a body I8 which may 10 be made of any suitablematerial depending on the particular use to which the mop is to beapplied. Thus by way of examples, the swab body I8 may be made of thecommonly used cellulose cellularmaterial which, when wet, has 15 thecombined characteristics of a sponge and chamois; or sponge, spongerubber, felt or lambs wool, depending upon whether the mop is to be usedwet, as for example with water when used for washing floors, or dry, orwith suitable coating 20 materials applied thereto.

The body portion I8 is carried by a backing strip i8 secured thereto asfor example by a layer of any suitable adhesive as represented at 20;the backing strip I9 being provided adjacent 25 its longitudinal edgeswith exible loops 2l and 22 extending substantially the full length ofthe. body portion I8 and housing rods 23 and 24. The backing I9 ispreferably composed of a sheet I9a of any suitable fabric folded andstitched as 30 represented at 25 and 2G to' form the loops 2i and 22,and a sheet, I9b, of metal superposing the formed strip Illa and securedthereto by a layer I9c of any suitable adhesive.

The swab I2 is assembled with the head 9 by 35 telescopng therod-equipped portion of the loop 2l with the iiange I5, this flangepreventing displacement of the loop 2I from the socket I6 except byrelative lengthwise movement of the headand swab. The loop 22 is thenpassed 40 around the back edge of the plate 9 as shown in Fig. 4 and isdrawn taut and held in such position by the clip I3.

The clip I3 which is removable and replaceable is shown as formed of asingle piece of spring 45 wire bent to present hooks 2'I having pointedextremities and an intermediate hook portion 28, the hook portions 21and 28 extending toward each other as shown.

The clip I 3 is positioned beneath the head 9 50 to straddle the handleI0 and is hooked at its hooks 21 into the loop 22, and then sprung, atits hook 28, over the flange I5 as shown in Fig. 4, the spring tensionof the clip I3 holding the swab in tight engagement with the head 9.

As will be readily apparent when it is desired to remove the swab I2from the head 9 the operator springs the hook 28 out of engagement withthe flange I5, permitting the withdrawal of the hooks 2l from the loop22 and thereby freeing the swab I2 for lengthwise sliding movement onthe head 9 to release it therefrom.

The wringer device I4 comprises a plate-like presser member 29 havingcross slots therein as represented at 30 and provided with a handle 3Irigid therewith; and a frame member 32 hingedly connected with thepresser member 29 and with the head 9 and functioning as a connectinglink between the member 29 and the head, affording a fulcrum for themember 29 slightly above the lower surface of the body I8 of the swab.

The frame 32 is shown as formed of a single length of wire aiording anupper pintle 33 journaled on the presser member 29 at a ange 34 on thelatter, the edge of this flange being cut away to form an opening 35substantially midway between its ends through which a projection 36 onthe pintle 33 extends. The lower ends of the side members 31 of theframe 32 are forwardly deflected as shown at 38 and depend below thebody of the head and terminate in inwardly bent portions 39 journaled inthe journal support I1.

,The normal, inoperating position, of the wringer device is that shownby the dotted depending representation in Fis. 4pm which position thewringer device is releasably held in place by a spring member 40 carriedby the handle I0 and extending into frictional engagement with the wallsof a recess 4I in the handle 3l.

To operate the wringer device the operator, after submerging the swab inthe liquid to be used, swings the wringer device to the full lineposition represented in Fig. 4, the frame 32 becoming positioned at theback face of the swab, and then swings the presser member 29 on thefulcrum 33, to the dotted, inclined position shown in this gure, therebycompressing the swab and squeezing out the excess of liquid therein,repeating submergence and the squeezing operation if desirable. When theswab is in condition for use the operator swings the wringer device backto the normal, inoperating position, in which the device is releasablyheld by the retainer 4I).

The projection 36 is provided to facilitate the operation of the partsof the wringer device into and out of operating position. In theswinging of the presser member 29 from normal, inoperating position, tooperative position, the projection 36 is a'butted by the edge 42 of theopening 35 and in the swinging of the member 29 from the inclined dottedposition (Fig. 4) toward normal, inoperating position the body portionof the member 29 engages the projection 36 thereby causing the member 29and the link member 32 to swing as a unitary structure.

While I have illustrated and described a particular constructionembodying my invention, I do not wish to be understood as intending tolimit it thereto as the same may be variously modified and alteredwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. In this connectionit may be stated that while I have shown my invention embodied in astructure in which the swab is removable and replaceable and the wringerfeature is embodied, it will be understood that the vinvention is notlimited to a construction in which both of these features are embodied.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A mop comprising a head having a groove along an edge thereof', aswab on said head having a portion along one edge siidable in saidgroove and interlocked to said head by the wall of said groove and aflexible portion along its opposite edge, and a releasable 'clip havinga hook portion engaging said head at its groove-equipped portion andhooks engaging said flexible portion.

2. A mop comprising a head, a swab, means securing said swab at one edgeto a side of said head, the other edge of said swab having a flexibleportion and a releasable clip at the underside of, and extendingcrosswise of, said head and having a hook portion hooked over the edgeof said head at which said swab is connected with said head and hooksengaging said exible portion.

3. A mop comprising ahead, a swab on said head, and a wringer devicecomprising a frame hingedly supported along one side of the head andhaving a projection and a presser element hinged-V ly connectedwith'said frame beyond the hinge support for said frame for engagingsaid swab, said presser element having stop portions engageable by saidprojections alternately in the swinging of said element on said frame inopposite directions.

4. A mop comprising a head, a swab, means for securing said swab at oneedge to said head adjacent one side of said head, the opposite edge ofsaid swab having a exible portion, pivoted presser means for said swabadjacent the opposite side of said head and having a pivot portionengaging said head, said flexible portion being folded over the edge ofsaid head adjacent said presser means and extending through said pressermeans, and means engaging the free edge of said flexible portion forholding the latter in place.

5. A mop comprising a head, a swab, means for securing said swab at oneedge to said head adjacent one side of said head, the opposite edge ofsaid swab having a exible portion, pivoted presser means for said swabadjacent the opposite side of said head and having a pivot portionengaging said head, said exible portion being folded over the edge ofsaid head adjacent said presser means and extending through said pressermeans, and a clip extending crosswise of said head engaging at one endwith said head and at its opposite end with the free edge of saidflexible portion for holding the latter in place.

6. A mop comprising a head, a swab, means for securing said swab at oneedge to said head adjacent one side of said head, the opposite edge ofsaid swab having a flexible portion, pivoted presser means for said swabadjacent the opposite side of said head and comprising a link pivoted onsaid head and having arms at its ends and' a presser element pivoted onsaid arms, said flexible portionbeing folded over the edge of said headadiacent said presser means and extending through the space between saidarms, and means engaging the free edge of said flexible portion forholding the latter in place.

7. A mop comprising a head, a swab on said head, and a wringer devicecomprising a frame hingedly supported on said head, a presser elementhingedly connected with said frame beyond the hinge support for saidframe for engaging said swab and means operative in the swinging of saidpresser element on said frame in opposite directions to eiect movementof said frame by said element comprising a' pair of spaced apart stopson said element alternately engageable with said frame.

EDWARD F. LUX.

